Okay so last May I was scrolling through my horoscope app like always, mostly for laughs, but the June forecast for Virgos actually made me pause. “Major career shifts possible”? Mine felt kinda stuck honestly. Paycheck okay but zero excitement. Figured hey, why not actually try the stuff they suggest? Worst case, nothing changes. So here’s exactly what I did, step by step.
Phase 1: The Brain Dump & BS Filter
First up, that app said Virgos thrive on organization (duh) and clarity. Made sense. Grabbed my notebook – actual paper, felt right. Started scribbling everything bugging me about work:
- Felt like a task robot: Just churning through emails and reports. No thinking.
- Skills gathering dust: Used to love project planning, now just filling templates.
- Zero visibility: Boss knew my output, but did higher-ups? Nope.
- Fridays felt like Mondays: Just… meh.
Then I looked at the horoscope advice: “Embrace meticulous planning,” “Sharpen undervalued skills,” “Initiate crucial conversations.” Okay, less mystical, more actionable. Filtered the cosmic stuff into real-world stuff I could tackle.
Phase 2: Actually Making a Plan (Not Just a To-Do List)
The stars said “meticulous planning” was key for Virgos in June. I usually just make endless to-do lists that stress me out. This time, I tried something different. Went back to that notebook.
- Picked ONE Big Thing: Instead of “get promotion,” I wrote: “Get assigned to a more visible project by July 1st.” Specific. Scary, but specific.
- Skill Dust-Off: Dug up an old project management certificate. Felt rusty. The advice said “sharpen undervalued skills.” So I committed: “Complete one short online refresher module on Agile PM per week.” Free ones on YouTube counted. Small bites.
- The Dreaded Visibility: Virgo advice was “initiate crucial conversations.” Ugh. Talk to people? Seriously? But I wrote: “Schedule one 15-minute chat per week with someone outside my immediate team in June.” Could be coffee, Zoom, whatever. Just connect.
Wrote these THREE things on a sticky note. Put it on my monitor. That was the whole “plan” for June. Simple. Focused.
Phase 3: Grinding It Out (The Messy Middle)
Okay, sticking to it sucked sometimes.
- The Modules: Some weeks, yeah, got them done on my lunch break. Other weeks? Last minute Sunday night scramble because I forgot. But seeing that sticky note guilt-tripped me into doing at least one.
- The Chats: The first one was awkward. Cornered Linda from Finance near the printer. Blurted out “So… reports, huh?”. But I did it. Next week was easier. Talked to Mark in Marketing about a campaign. Didn’t pitch myself, just learned what he did. Third week? Got coffee with Sarah from Product. Actually mentioned I missed project work. Felt terrifying. She just nodded. Fourth week? Had lunch with my boss’s boss’s assistant, Brenda. Pure luck bumping into her. Chatted about workload. Small talk stuff.
- The Ask: Mid-June, Sarah (from Product) actually emailed me! Said a small cross-functional project needed help with timelines and organization. Would I be interested? HELL YES. Used those refreshed module skills immediately to draft a simple proposal for how I could contribute part-time. Hit send. Panicked. Remembered the “initiate crucial conversations” bit. Emailed my boss directly: “Sarah mentioned Project X needing timeline help. I drafted a proposal for how I could support part-time. Could we chat about this on Monday?”
It wasn’t smooth. Had to force myself. Sometimes failed (forgot a weekly chat). Sometimes felt stupid (“Am I really doing this horoscope thing?”). Momentum built slowly.
Phase 4: What Actually Happened (Spoiler: Not Magic)
So, June 30th rolled around. Results?
- Got the Project! Boss approved the part-time support role on Project X starting July 10th! Not a promotion (yet), but a step. Visibility achieved.
- Skills? Less Rusty: Finished 3 modules. Feels good. Asked Sarah if I could practice the concepts on Project X.
- Network… Expanded?: Made 3 actual work connections (Linda doesn’t count). Brenda even passed a casual compliment about my “efficiency” to her boss. Small win.
No cosmic explosions. No sudden CEO handshake. But stuff shifted. That “stuck” feeling? Lighter. Got me thinking bigger for July. Maybe the horoscope just gave me a framework to finally act. Or maybe Virgos do get a boost when they use their natural organizer powers deliberately? Who knows. Tried it. Worked enough that I’m planning my July sticky note right now.